Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule Sunday of the Prodigal Son February 4-5, 2012 Sat. Feb. 4 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+Marie Volcheck, req. by John & Rosemary Tomko) Sun. Feb. 5 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+James Shandrick, req. by the Shandrick Family) Sunday of Meatfare February 11-12, 2012 Sat. Feb. 11 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy + Panachida for All Deceased Parishioners (+Rosemarie Zifchak, req. by Veronica Trach) Sun. Feb. 12 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Thomas Wesdock, req. by Wesdock Family) Deepest Sympathies Our parish family of St. Gregory Nazianzus Church would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Helen Stasiuk, who fell asleep in the Lord on January 28, and was buried from our church this past Wed., Feb. 1. May the Lord God grant to his servant, Helen, blessed repose and eternal memory and may He give comfort and peace to her family and friends. Vicnaja jej pamjat! Upcoming Retreats & Programs at Mt. St. Macrina House of Prayer Poustinia (Silent) Retreat Feb. 24-25, 6 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Offering: $50, Registration due: Feb. 20; Lenten Day of Prayer Mar. 4, 1:15 p.m. 4:30 p.m., Presenter to be announced, Offering: $25, Registration Due: Feb. 29; Spiritual Reading Series Mar. 6, 13, 20, 27, 9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m., Presented by Sr. Carol Petrasovich and Sr. Barbara Jean Mihalchick, Free Will Offering, Registration Due: Mar. 5; Lenten Day of Prayer Mar. 10, 9:15 a.m. 12:30 p.m., presented by Fr. Damon Geiger, Offering: $25, Registration Due: Mar. 5; Morning of Personal Prayer March 26, 28, 30, 9:30 11:30 a.m., Presenter to be announced, Free Will Offering, Register by Mar. 23. Monthly Sixth Hour and Soup and Bread Luncheon The monthly sixth hour service and soup and bread luncheon will be held on Thursday, Feb. 16. The sixth hour service will be celebrated in church at 12 noon and the soup and bread luncheon will follow in our church hall. All are invited to attend! A Quick Journey through the Bible Program to Begin Fr. Tom will once again be offering the Bible Study program entitled, A Quick Journey through the Bible. This year s class will take place on Sunday s after the 9:30 a.m. liturgy, beginning Jan. 22. The program will consist of 8 classes meant to give an introduction to the entire story of salvation history contained in the Bible. It is especially designed for those who are unfamiliar with Sacred Scripture and would like to learn more about it. To register for the class, please sign up on the sign-up sheet located in the narthex (vestibule) of our church. There will be a fee of $20 per person to cover the expense of the workbooks. 2011 Kolbasa Sales A successful Christmas kolbasa sale capped another successful year for this fundraising project. Profit from the Christmas sale alone was $6,100 and the total profit from the two sales (Easter and Christmas) in 2011 was $14,700. This is the highest single-year profit we ever achieved. We are very grateful for the enthusiastic participation by the many parishioners who bought, sold, packaged or distributed kolbasa in 2011 and thereby contributed to the success of this project. With the continued active and enthusiastic participation of St Gregory parishioners, we look forward to continued success in 2012. Great Fast Lock-In Retreat for Teens and Young Adults The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Parma is offering a Great Fast retreat for teenagers and young adults entitled, Rediscovering Repentance in Today s World. The retreat will be held from 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 to 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 4 at St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church (3055 S. Raccoon Road) in Austintown, OH. Cost is $20 per participant (includes presentations, light meals, T-shirt, and fun). For more information or to register, please call Subdeacon Myron Spak at 412-303-9086 or by e-mail at mjspak@verizon.net. Pre-Lenten Kitchen & Lenten Kitchen St. Elias On Friday, February 10, St. Elias Byzantine Catholic Church, 4200 Homestead-Duquesne Road, Munhall will hold a Pre-Lenten Kitchen from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our Lenten Kitchen will begin on Wednesday, February 22, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and every Friday from February 24 through March 30, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sorry, no Lenten Kitchen on Friday, April 6. Menu will include: Soup, pirohi, noodle haluski, baked or fried fish (sandwiches or dinners), shrimp dinner, crab cake dinner, and potato pancakes, and, of course, a bake sale. Dine in or take out. We deliver in the Steel Valley and West Mifflin Area. Please call 412-461-9271 for takeout or delivery.
WEEKLY COLLECTION January 29, 2012 Category Amount 1. Envelopes $ 1,270.00 2. Loose 37.00 3. Candles 35.00 4. Initial Offering 23.00 5. Debt 1,025.00 6. Christmas 100.00 TOTAL Deposited $ 2,490.00 Envelopes 1@$100 =$100.00 1@75 =75.00 2@50 =100.00 5@40 =200.00 1@35 =35.00 2@30 =60.00 11@25 =275.00 13@20 =260.00 2@15 =30.00 12@10 =120.00 3@5 =15.00 Total 53 envelopes $ 1,270.00 Average donation = $ 24.00 Average needed per week to meet expenses prior to fund-raising (based on last year s total expenses including debt reduction expenses) = $2612.70 Souper Bowl Sunday Food Collection Our parish will be collecting food for the needy on Super Bowl Sun., Feb. 5. The food will be given to the South Hills Interfaith Ministry for distribution to the poor in our local area. Parish Advisory Board Meeting There will be a meeting of the Parish Advisory Board on Sun., Feb. 26, immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy. All parishioners are invited to attend. Topics for discussion include: Holy Week and Pascha schedule of services, Lenten Bible Study, and upcoming Youth Group activites. Pilgrim Vocation Icon Program Our Pilgrim Vocation Icon Program has begun. This program is being conducted in every Byzantine Catholic Parish in the United States. Everyone in every Byzantine Catholic parish in the United States is invited to pray for and encourage others within the Church that they might respond generously to God s call in their lives. We need generous women and men to minister among us as priests, deacons, monastics and sisters. We need people like you to pray for and encourage them. Please sign up today to have the Pilgrim Vocation Icon in your home. You may sign up on the sheet in the narthex (vestibule) of the church. For more information or to volunteer to help, please contact Fr. Tom. Slovak Language Classes The Western Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association is offering free Slovak language classes every Tuesday from Feb. 28 through April 24 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Mount Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Pittsburgh. Call Pam at 412-531-2990 to reserve a place in the class. Donate Your Car Help Needy Receive Tax Deduction of $500+ Cars for Help, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity, is working to strengthen individual churches and various Catholic charities through vehicle donations. The process is fast, easy, and requires just a phone call or visit to our website. If you would like to donate a vehicle in any condition, even severely broken or crashed, or just have questions, please call us directly at (630)595-9272. You can also donate your vehicle at www.carsforhelp.com. With mention of this bulletin, 25% of your vehicle donation proceeds will go directly to St. Gregory Nazianzus parish. Youth Group Ice Skating Outing Our youth group will be going ice skating at Bladerunners in Bethel Park on Sat., Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $6 per person plus $3 for skate rental. There will also be a pizza party immediately following the 5:30 p.m. Divine Liturgy that evening for all youth group members in our church hall. To register for this event, please sign up on the sheet located in the narthex (vestibule) of our church.
This Week s Reflection All Souls Saturdays Saturday of Souls (or Soul Saturday) is a day set aside for commemoration of the dead within the liturgical year of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches. Saturday is a traditional day for prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday. There are several Soul Saturdays throughout the year: The Saturday of Meatfare Week (the second Saturday before Great Lent) the day before the Sunday of the Last Judgement The second Saturday of Great Lent The third Saturday of Great Lent The fourth Saturday of Great Lent Radonitsa (Monday or Tuesday after Thomas Sunday) The Saturday before Pentecost Demetrius Saturday (the Saturday before the feast of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki 26 October) These days are devoted to prayer for departed relatives and others among the faithful who might not be commemorated specifically as Saints. The Divine Services on these days have special hymns added to them to commemorate the departed. There is normally a Panikhida (memorial service) served either after the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, or after Vespers on Friday evening, for which Koliva (a dish made of boiled wheatberries and honey) is prepared and placed in front of the cross or icon before which the Panikhida is served. After the service, the priest blesses the koliva and it is then eaten as a memorial by all present. All Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics observe Soul Saturdays on Meatfare Saturday (i.e., two Saturdays before the beginning of Great Lent); the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent; and the Saturday before Pentecost. Other Orthodox, such as the Serbian Orthodox, observe commemorations of the dead on the Saturdays before August 8 and before October 24. The Russians observe memorials on the Saturdays closest to September 26 (Saint Demetrius), and September 23 (Conception of St. John the Forerunner). Another memorial day, Radonitsa, does not fall on a Saturday, but on either Monday or Tuesday of the second week after Pascha (Easter). Radonitsa does not have special hymns for the dead at the Divine Services, but instead, a Panikhida will follow the Divine Liturgy, and then all will bring paschal foods to the cemeteries to greet the departed with the joy of the Resurrection. (From the Wikipedia article, Saturday of Souls, at www.wikipedia.com) 3 rd Annual Comedy Night Tickets are now on sale for the THIRD ANNUAL COMEDY NIGHT BEING HELD ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17 th. Last years event was so entertaining that we were told the tickets were too cheap. Those who have been to the comedy night know what fun it is and now it is time to share it with others. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR $20.00 and include light snacks and draft beer. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AFTER ALL WEEKEND LITURGIES, AS WELL AS BY PHONE. We will also SELL SEPERATLY AN ETHNIC DINNER THAT WILL INCLUDE HALUSKI AND STUFFED CABBAGE while it lasts. Of course you are free to bring your own coolers and picnic baskets filled with any of your own favorites. In addition we will also have the famous Comedy Night Hot Dogs. Please see Mike Kiss (412-818-1295) or Father Tom (412-835-7800) for more details, table reservations, and to help sell tickets to make this a huge success. Super Bowl Pool Fundraiser Our parish is running a Super Bowl pool again this year with a prize giveaway of $500. To purchase a square on the Super Bowl Pool, please call Fr. Tom or see Greg Uhrlen. A square may be purchased for $10. Final square purchases must be made by Sun., Feb. 5 at 12 noon. Parish Financial Board Meeting There will be a meeting of our Parish Financial Advisory Board on Sun., Feb. 5 immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy. All parishioners are invited to attend. Topics for discussion include: 2011 End of the Year Parish Financial Report, Super Bowl Pool, Spaghetti Dinner, and Comedy Night Fundraisers. O Joyful Light ByzanTEEN Youth Rally 2012 This year s ByzanTEEN youth rally will be held July 12-15 at the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. Total rally cost per teen is $275 (airfare not included). The deadline to register is June 1. For more information about the rally please go to www.byzanteen.com. To register for the event, please contact Fr. Tom for registration forms. Presentation on Homelessness Family Promise of Southwestern Pennsylvania is hosting a presentation on homelessness at Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park, PA on Sat., Feb 11 at 9:30 a.m. This presentation will help give ideas how you can help fight homelessness in your local area. If attending, please RSVP by Tues., Feb. 7 by calling 724-229-1129.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus Byzantine Catholic Church 2005 Mohawk Road Upper St Clair, PA 15241 412-835-7800 724-317-6986 (cell) Church Slavonic Divine Liturgies, and ecumenical presentations featuring Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant choirs. For more info: 330-825-2979 or by e-mail: rbenya@neo.rr.com Please Take Care of Pew Books Just a reminder to take care of our church s pew books. Please do not allow children to rip pages and pull and fray ribbons. These books are expensive, so please take care of them! Pastor: FATHER THOMAS J. WESDOCK Website: www.stgregoryusc.org Email: saintgregorychurch@gmail.com or frthomas2000@gmail.com ECF Classes: Sundays 10:45-11:45a.m. Confession: By appointment & Saturday at 3-4 p.m. Marriage: at least six months notice; Pre-Cana classes from the Archeparchy Cantors: George Tichi, Michael Pillar, Sylvia Bender, Jeremy Mayernik ECF Coordinator: Carol Planitzer at cplanitzer@comcast.net or 724-969-4122 Youth Ministry: Michael Kiss at jandmkiss1@comcast.net or 724-693-8983 Church Founding & Historical Committee: Barb Stasiuk (412-885-2140) Bethany Ministry: Jennifer Kehm at nkehm@aol.com or 724-941-5352 Parish Nurse: Dorothy Mayernik at dorothymayernik@comcast.net or 412-310-0521 Fr. Tom s Communion Visitation List If you know of any parishioners who are sick and unable to come to church for an extended period of time, please inform Fr. Tom, so he can call them up and see about putting them on his home communion visitation schedule. Thank you. Slavjane Folk Ensemble Recruiting Youth Dancers Do you like to sing and dance and perform for people? Are you interested in learning the songs, dances, and traditions of your relatives that reside in Eastern Europe? Do you want to make friends that will last a lifetime? If you are between the ages of 5-18 then you can do so. The Slavjane Folk Ensemble, which is the official cultural representative of the Rusyn culture for the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is accepting applications for the 2012 season. Learn traditional Rusyn song and dance as well as those of other Slavic and non-slavic cultures. For more information about Slavjane, please call Dean Poloka, Program Director at 412-877-9351 or email rusyn31@verizon.net. St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church Choir Recordings St. Nicholas B. C. Church choir in Barberton, OH is selling recordings of Byzantine Catholic liturgies and hymns. CD s for sale include seasonal chants of the Eastern church, Eastern Christian Publications Eastern Christian Publications, the company that produces our weekly bulletin covers, has a wide variety of Eastern Christian spiritual, liturgical, and historical books, CD s, and DVD s available for purchase. They have an online catalog available at their website: ecpubs.com. To request a catalog by mail, please call 703-691-8862 or write to Eastern Christian Publications, P.O. Box 3909, Fairfax, VA 22038-3909. Afterschool Volunteers Needed South Hills Interfaith Ministries is looking for volunteers for an after school program in Baldwin-Whitehall that works with a multi-cultural population grades K-5. Shifts are available M-F 4:30-7:00 p.m. All volunters must have Act 33/34 clearances. Call SHIM program director - Doris Nagel at 412-854-9120 ext. 20. Extra Help for People with Medicare Insurance Do you know someone on Medicare, and who has a low income and limited assets? If so, it is possible that they may qualify for financial assistance with their Medicare expenses.there are two programs that help: The Medicare Savings Program, which helps with Part B premiums for individuals with monthly income that is below $1,226 (for a married couple, $1,655); and The Low Income Subsidy, which helps with the Part D premiums and prescription drug copayments for individuals with monthly income below $1,361 (for a married couple, $1,839). To find out more, to obtain an application, or for assistance in completing an application, please call the Allegheny County Department of Human Services at 412-350-7079 or email kburk@alleghenycounty.us St. Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church Did you know? (financial)
St. Gregory s financial board has recently released the 2010 financial report and set financial goals for 2011. It is important that our Parishioners understand the facts and goals set forth. Weekly and Holiday Offerings Weekly offering (white envelopes) are able to sustain regular monthly debts. Average envelopes offered each week 65 If you only use a white envelope from the offering box and are contributing all you can please continue to do so in that manner since we are making projections from the amounts you offered in the 2010 white and holiday envelopes. Mortgage payments are $3600.00 a month and applied to the 1 st mortgage until completed. Then applied to the interest free mortgage when the balance in completed Current 1 st mortgage balance $240,000 but after 5 years $68,603. In 80 months the entire first mortgage will be paid in full 21 months later the $75,000 second mortgage will be paid in full Air Conditioner: Debt Reduction Offering Monthly offering needed for payment on the two outstanding mortgages is $3600.00 Monthly offering needed for the Air Conditioning loan is $1300.00 for a term of five years Monthly average offered from 2010 was $1891.00 Average envelopes offered in 2010 was 45 Shortfall in 2011 debt payments can be made up in several ways and will be published in the Debt Reduction 5 year plan document Terms of the debt payments are determined by the Archeparchy Original Mortgages FIVE YEAR DEBT REDUCTION PLAN (1 st Mortgage balance of $240,000 @ 5.5% and 2nd Mortgage of $75,000 @ 0%) The terms of this loan are estimated at $1300.00 a month for 60 months How we bridge the GAP: Increase the average debt envelopes collected but not at the expense of the weekly envelopes offering reducing in any way. A blend of an increase in debt reduction offerings and fund raising 2010 debt offering equaled $22,700 ($1891.00 a month) 2011 projected debt payments $58,800 ($4900.00 a month) GAP $36,100 or ( $3008 a month) Fundraising goal $36,100 (without any new debt offerings) Fundraising through Easter is projected to be $16,500 and nearly half way to our goal and it s only April See Annual fundraising ideas and goals for the closing of the GAP potential to be published in a future bulletin
Foreclosure Help for those in Need If you re worried about foreclosure, there s a place to turn for help. If you re worried about losing your house, you may be eligible for financial assistance, including new emergency federal loans. In fact, a whole host of programs may help you avoid foreclosure and stay in your home. The first step is to call today, because funding is available for a limited time. Call 1-800-552-4171 now to learn more. St. Vincent de Paul Seeking Household Items and Usable Clothes The St. Vincent de Paul Society Pittsburgh Council is seeking all types and sizes of clothes, shoes, boots, housewares, appliances, etc. To donate call 412-321-1071. Donations for the Poor Collection Container During the four fasting seasons of the Byzantine Catholic Church Year, a blue specially marked container will be located in the narthex (vestibule) of the church to collect donations (non-perishable food items, winter clothing, especially infant clothing, or monetary donations) for the Pittsburgh-area poor. Items and monetary donations collected will be forwarded to the South Hills Interfaith Ministry for distribution in the South Hills and Greater Pittsburgh area. Your help in this endeavor is greatly appreciated! Sponsor a Pro-Life Billboard To help sponsor Pregnancy HELP hotline billboards around Pittsburgh and on the Pennsylvania turnpike, please contact or make a donation to Pennsylvania Foundation for Life at P.O. Box 12741, Pittsburgh, PA 15241. Volunteers Needed at South Hills Interfaith Ministries South Hills Interfaith Ministries, 5301 Park Ave., Bethel Park, is looking for volunteers in the following areas: Food Pantry, Thurs., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Fri., 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (twice a month for two hours); Receptionist, Mon. Fri., 9 to 12 or 12 to 3; and Tax Preparation, Feb. 4 Mar. 10. Whether you re looking to give an hour a week or an hour a month, South Hills Interfaith Ministries needs you! For more information, please contact Natalie at 412-854-9120. Clothing Collections Taken Year Round at SHIM Families who use SHIM s Food Pantry also are able to shop in the Community Clothing Room, selecting donated clothing items for members of their household. Donated clothing must be clean and free of rips, holes, etc. All sizes are welcome, though there is a particular need now for boys clothing (infant and youth). Clothing donations are accepted seasonally, as follows: Spring/Summer April 1- August 31, Fall/Winter September 1- March 31. Drop off your clothing at the SHIM offices (5301 Park Ave., Bethel Park) between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.